Surfacing
by Seppuku Doll
Summary: A series of oneshots done to songs by Sarah McLachlan. Pairings and better summary inside. Please oh please, RR! It's a quick read, really. UPDATE: AxM (Do What You Have To Do) fic and KxK (Sweet Surrender) fic!
1. Author's notes

Disclaimer: I will only say this once. I DO NOT OWN RK! I don't own any of the songs in here either! 

**The Dreaded AUTHOR'S NOTE PAGE!**

Surfacing is a collection of songfics all songs by Sarah McLachlan. ^^; I'm intending to use this little project as a way to ease myself into actual commitment. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I can't finish ANYTHING—whether it be a website or a story. Hopefully, a whole story of oneshots disguised as something organized will trick me into learning how to stick to something.   
  
So far, this is my little checklist.   
Building a Mystery—Seta Soujiro (check)  
Do What You Have To Do—Aoshi x Misao (check)  
I Love You—Aoshi x Misao  
Sweet Surrender—Kenshin x Kaoru (check)  
Fear—Kenshin x Kaoru (NC-17)  
Posession—Aoshi x Misao (NC-17)  
Circles—Sanosuke x Megumi (check)  
Delirium—Enishi x Kaoru   
Fumbling Towards Ecstacy-Enishi x Misao  
Path of Thorns and/or Plenty-Misao...getting over Aoshi/Aoshi angsting over Misao  
Elsewhere-Aoshi x Misao (NC-17?)

Those are all I have planned. Eventually, I plan to make my way to maybe 20 songfics! Please R&R! Constructive criticism is very much appreciated. No flames please, they don't help me improve. Each chapter is something completely new and none of the chapters have anything to do with each other.  
  
Note: Yes, I do leave out some of the songs sometimes. I know that's not really according to "songfic rules" or whatever…. Just don't flame me for that because I don't care. ^^   
Dedicated to Rikka for being the greatest kouhai anyone could ever ask for! 


	2. Building a Mystery: Seta Soujiro

A/N: This one is about Soujiro wandering around the countryside and finally reaching a breaking point. Sort of random, but every time I hear this song I think about him. Forgive me if this is too OOC!

**Building a Mystery**—Seta Soujiro

_You come out at night  
That's when the energy comes  
And the dark side's light  
And the vampires roam...  
_  
  
Seta Soujiro shuffled through the snowy blanket of the country road, a broken smile on his youthful features. The dark hung almost as thickly as the snow on the trees around him, as he always chose to travel at the dead of night to avoid recognition. Had he not been so deftly trained, he might've bumped into trees in this blackness or slipped on ice. A normal man wouldn't have been able to even see a hand waving in front of his face. The tenken, however, was not a normal man.  
  
_…You wear sandals in the snow  
And a smile that won't wash away  
Can you look out the window  
Without your shadow getting in the way?_  
  
He finally emerged from the thickly woven canopy of trees to stop at a frozen river. There was light here—it was nearly as bright as day. The moonbeams reflected off the snow and ice, glaring and shining in mimicry of the stars above.  
  
Soujiro would've been lying if he said he wasn't cold, what with the snow soaking through his haori and melting in his neatly cropped hair, numbing his mind and scalp. Still, he would've been damned if he showed his discomfort. The weakening smile curving his lips strengthened as he bent down to peer at his reflection in the frigid waters, practicing for an imagined audience.  
  
No. Not an imagined audience. This smile was not for anyone else but himself. This smile was for his own comfort. The smile twisted as he tightened his fists in what he told himself was an attempt to return some sort of feeling to his fingers.  
  
_You woke up screaming aloud  
A prayer from your secret god  
You feed off our fears  
And hold back your tears  
_  
  
Even if no one else was around, he couldn't allow himself the luxury of breaking. Even if the world around him collapsed, he would rise and the weak would crumble…the strong survive and the weak die…  
  
"NO!"   
  
He screamed into the emptiness, his voice echoing in agreement. Falling to his knees, he gripped his hair, trying feebly to push the thought from his head. Life was different now. He had different ideals now. He was a wanderer now. Just earlier, in town, he had assisted a woman in protecting herself and her child from bandits. The entire time, though, he had wondered why the woman could not protect herself. He also wondered why she would even need protection in this new "peaceful" era. Finally, he wondered why he should protect her at all.  
  
The still, crystalline waters of the frozen river still reflected his image, the smile on his face broken and twisted. A lone tear escaped his left eye, trickling down his cheek in a trail of liquid warmth. Trembling, he brought a hand up to his eye to inspect it, disbelieving. Crying? He? No…this wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. Another tear followed the first one, dropping onto the snow with a light hiss. Were his tears that hot?  
  
_Give us a tantrum  
And a know it all grin  
Just when we need one  
When the evening's thin_  
  
Try as he might, he couldn't suppress his tears. At least he could ignore them. He stood, staring down at his crying reflection one last time before cracking the ice with the hilt of his sword in a quick movement. The shattering of the river surface reminded Soujiro of the sound of destruction—something he was used to.  
  
It took a few moments, but the smile returned to his face, stronger and more cheerful than ever. He followed the river down a ways until reaching a more secure patch of ice to walk across to reach the other side. Where would he go tonight? Where would he sleep, if he even chose to? All of the past events left his mind at his own insistence.  
  
_Oh you're so beautiful…  
A beautiful fucked up man  
You're setting up your  
Razor wire shine  
  
_ He paused as he reached the other snowy bank and slowly turned around to face the river once more. With his famous speed, he brought his fist down, deep cracks spreading from the ice beneath his hand to create an intricate spider web.  
  
_Cause you're working  
Building a mystery  
Holding on and  
Holding it in  
You're working  
Building a mystery  
And choosing so carefully…  
  
_ Rising with the practiced smile on his face, he turned again and started away, walking in no particular direction. Before he reached the next town, he would have to make sure his feelings were perfectly concealed.  
  
Suddenly, he realized that there was a pain in his fist. He glanced down to see blood on his knuckles, slowly freezing in the moonlight. This was another thing he was quite familiar with. He turned his head toward the moon and continued to grin…only this time, it was real.

~*OWARI*~

Another A/N: Please review! And also, stay tuned for the next one to Do What You Have To Do. 


	3. Do What You Have To Do: Aoshi x Misao

A/N: I think this one will end up being my favorite. I've been planning it for some time. Oh yes! And please remember: all of these songfics do not tie into each other. Each is a different, new story.  
  
''=inner monologue, ""=speech

**Do What You Have To Do**—Aoshi x Misao 

_What ravages of spirit  
Conjured this tempestuous rage?  
Created you a monster  
Broken by the rules of love…  
_  
  
Misao sat before Aoshi, watching him sip his tea and meditate in silence. The same routine for three years, and yet she never tired of it. Her jade eyes followed his every movement in barely concealed adoration, admiring his strong jaw and every muscle. Hard to believe that those muscles were covered with countless battle scars, each holding a painful memory. Only years before, he was a killer, a mindless murderer now subdued to a man seeking some sort of solace and mercy for his past sins. Karma worked in interesting ways.   
  
Rain fell in heavy sheets on the roof of the temple, creating a trance-inducing staccato echoing through the room. She sighed heavily, idly toying with the obi of her kimono. Just recently, she had taken to wearing them, even if they were horribly uncomfortable and restricting. At nineteen, she was no child and it was time that she stopped dressing—and acting—like one. She scratched at her scalp, grimacing at the tightness of the intricate knot in her raven tresses. Actually…she hadn't dressed this way to look her age. She had dressed this way to catch Aoshi's cold eyes, in blind hope that maybe he would look upon her and realize that she had indeed grown. It was hopeless. In all of these years, her love had never wavered, though he showed no emotion toward her. She felt enough for the both of them.   
  
Just then, Aoshi cleared his throat, jolting Misao from her reverie. His blue eyes opened slowly, emotionless and even.  
  
_And fate has lead you through it  
You do what you have to do…_  
  
"I'm leaving tomorrow, Misao," Aoshi spoke in a deep, monotone, his expression giving away nothing.  
  
"How long?" She questioned softly, her eyes widening. Had this been three years earlier, she would've thrown a tantrum and insisted that she go with him.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"…I love you Aoshi."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry."  
  
Misao nodded numbly, the hands on her thighs unconsciously clutching at the kimono fabric. Of course he would leave…yesterday, the Oniwanbanshuu had been assigned a mission, the first in years and a very dangerous one at that. How silly she was to forget it. Of course he didn't love her. Had she expected otherwise? Had she really thought she would be able to make him smile? Her knuckles turned white from balling the fabric. She would not scream, nor would she kick anything. He apologized, right? Wasn't that enough? He hadn't laughed at her. No tantrums…no tantrums…no melodramatics.  
  
'Fuck it.'  
  
_Every moment marked   
With apparitions of your soul  
I'm ever swiftly moving  
Trying to escape this desire  
The yearning to be with you...  
  
_ She tore out of the temple into the rain, immediately soaked to the bone. Ripping the jade comb holding her hair out, she allowed her locks to fall free down her back. Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it! It wasn't worth it, this love, this pain. Everything she had done for him was in vain, and it was stupid. Why the hell should she change herself, especially for someone who would never return her sentiments?  
  
With cold, trembling fingers she quickly untied her obi, throwing into the mud. Her kunai fell to the ground with a metallic clatter, but she ignored them. Blinded by tears and rainwater, she ran, though to where, she wasn't quite sure.  
  
_...I do what I have to do…_  
  
Aoshi watched her run away, vision slightly obscured by black bangs clinging to his forehead in the torrents of water cascading down on him. He knew his apology wasn't enough, and it would never be…but how was he to tell her that he loved her as well when he could've been going off to his end the next day? And why, why did she want him, a man with blood and death dripping from his hands?  
  
A glint of green in the mud caught his eye. Carefully, he bent over and extracted Misao's comb from the earth. It was a delicate thing, matching perfectly with her eyes.  
  
_A glowing ember  
Burning hot  
Burning slow  
Deep within I'm shaken by the violence  
Of existing for only you  
  
_ He clutched the comb, the teeth biting into his palm. Should he go after her? She wasn't far…his trained onmitsu ears picked up the sounds of her sobbing. Raking a hand through his hair, he cursed under his breath. Aoshi could almost imagine her, shoulders shaking, face buried in her hands. The image burned his heart.  
  
_I know I can't be with you  
I do what I have to do  
I know I can't be with you  
I do what I have to do…  
  
_ No. If he came back alive, then he would comfort her…but now…. He turned, dragging his feet in the mud, laboring towards the temple. Never would he be worthy to have her, to sully her innocence with his dirty hands. Still…the idea of anyone else with her was enough to make him grit his teeth.  
  
The comb still in his hands, he leaned against an outside wall of the temple, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of incense and rain. Almost unknowingly, he brought the comb to his nose and inhaled deeply, in a strange effort to collect Misao's smell. Suddenly, the noise of sloshing mud made by another's feet roused him.  
  
_And I have the sense to recognize  
That I don't know how to let you go…_  
  
"Misao…"  
  
She ran into his arms, her tears hot against his frigid skin. Her tiny hands rested on his chest as she sobbed into his soaked yukata, her tears speaking for her.   
  
A calloused finger tilted her head up, forcing her to look at Aoshi's face. He was smiling.  
  
_I don't know how to let you go… _

~*OWARI*~

A/N: Too angsty? Too OOC? Let me know! I won't release the next one (to Sweet Surrender, Kenshin x Kaoru) until I get some reviews so I know that I'm not publishing these in vain! 


	4. Sweet Surrender: Kenshin x Kaoru

A/N: Ahh! ^^ Here we go! Kenshin x Kaoru Angst/WAFF to Sweet Surrender from the Surfacing album and dedicated to my wonderful editor/prereader DJ. Ah, I forgot to mention that Do What You Have To Do and Building a Mystery are also from Surfacing. I suggest listening to these songs while you read this, y'know, just for fun, I suppose. To see how the music really fits the fic. And I got reviews! Yay! Just a quick comment for them all:  
**Digibaka**-Ah! I know, when I was writing it I was almost crying. x.o Which made me feel sorta stupid. I'm very glad that you like it!  
**Miroslavishot11**-Misao doesn't abandon Aoshi...^^; Each chapter is a completely separate chapter. I would NEVER have Misao abandon Aoshi! Well...heh, that's not completely true. But she doesn't abandon him in this fic. I don't want to give away what I have planned for the Enishi x Misao chapter, but believe me, Aoshi was asking for it (as he usually does in alternate pairings involving Misao). Thanks for reading and enjoying!  
**Kitsune-Onna19**-Thanks! XD I'm glad you read it!  
**Sakuranbo**-Yay! You like it! Well, you have to like it, this whole thing is dedicated to you. And this chapter is for DJ too. ^^;  
**Silver Miko**-AHHH!!! YOU REVIEWED!! I IDOLIZE YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOOOOOU!!!! *dies*

And one last disturbance. This particular chapter is sort of AU...basically, I'm tossing out the Seisouhen OVAs. ^^; Ah, well, they were depressing anyway. Haha...*ducks just in case someone throws something* In this chapter, Kenshin is confessing his love and what not after much thought and contemplation. Again, please R/R!

**Sweet Surrender**--Kenshin x Kaoru

_It doesn't mean much  
It doesn't mean anything at all  
The life I've left behind me  
Is a cold room  
  
_ Amethyst eyes softened in heavy contemplation as its owner's sword-calloused hands scrubbed half-heartedly at a soiled plate. Red strands of hair fell from the loose ponytail secured at the nape of the rurouni's neck as he cleaned, the unusual scarlet locks framing his face. As it had often done lately, his mind began to wander on the events of the past, to a time when life wasn't all about washing dishes and spouting "oros".  
  
With a wry smile, Kenshin peered down at the bucket of water at his feet. How long had he been washing this plate? It was ironic in a way, how hands so dirty with the blood of others were now being used to clean. A legendary murderer reduced to work usually reserved for docile housewives.  
  
_I've crossed the last line  
From where I can't return  
Where every step I took in faith  
Betrayed me  
And led me from my home  
_  
  
For some reason though, he enjoyed washing dishes. He enjoyed sweeping, laundry, cooking, all the chores he had taken to doing in this place he now called "home."  
  
Home. The last thing a wanderer should have, but for the life of him he couldn't leave. Oh, he had tried. The Gods knew he had tried, but for some reason unfathomable to him at that moment, he couldn't. Every road he had traveled to escape the inconspicuous dojo had taken him far and wide, but eventually that same road would bring him back.   
  
When he had left for Kyoto...in all his years, he didn't expect to return alive.  
  
_You take me in  
No questions asked  
You strip away the ugliness  
That surrounds me_  
  
He should've died many times, actually. He should've died a bloody death during the revolution, which would be the least the Gods could do in punishment for his sins. But whether it be by blind luck or by holy design, he still had the ability to draw breath and draw sword and as long as he still had those abilities, he would redeem himself.  
  
In fact, Kenshin had been redeeming himself when he first arrived at the dojo. He hadn't been expecting to stay more than a few days...until....  
  
Soft footsteps roused him from his reverie. A light jasmine scent and a familiar ki filled the air.  
  
He hadn't been expecting to stay more than a few days until he had gotten to know one Kamiya Kaoru.  
  
"Kenshin, you've been washing that same dish for fifteen minutes. Is there something wrong?" Kaoru's feminine voice questioned, soft with concern.  
  
He turned, wearing the typical rurouni grin that stretched his cheeks to the point of soreness that he always donned whenever she was near. Shaking his crimson-tressed head, he lowered the dish, which was nearly sparkling in its cleanliness, and picked up another one.  
  
"Iie, Kaoru-dono. I've just been thinking, de gozaru."  
  
"What about?"  
  
She crouched next to him, drying the recently washed dish. A light smile curved her lips, a small sparkle in her cobalt eyes. Her jasmine scent was near intoxicating now, heightened by the fact that his senses were much better than the average person's. Indeed, he noticed everything about her at that moment, from the shine of her raven locks, to the softness of the fingers she accidently brushed against his hand while picking up a discarded plate. And the rosy flush on her ivory cheeks.  
  
"Kenshin?"  
  
"Ah, gomen. Sessha was thinking about nothing, de gozaru."  
  
Kaoru sighed and dropped the subject. No doubt he was contemplating his bloody past, as he often did. Everytime his amethyst eyes were clouded over with regret or remorse or some other undectable emotion, she knew what he was thinking about. Still...she did not question him about it. Even though she was sure he would tell her, his past didn't matter. All that mattered was him. Now. He knew this, didn't he?  
  
She sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a fleeting moment, collecting her courage. It was now or...well, not never, just later.  
  
_Are you an angel?  
Am I already that gone?  
I only hope  
That I won't disappoint you  
When I'm down here  
On my knees  
_  
  
"A..ano..." Kaoru began in a trembling tone, her sapphire gaze dropping to her slender fingers before rising to meet his.  
  
"Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Her eyes closed again as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. The action caught his violet eyes, drawing attention to the fact that her bottom lip was slightly fuller than the top. An innocent movement born of nervousness was somehow...much too seductive for him to stomach. He tore his eyes away from her mouth to her eyes, clouded with doubt. An unfamiliar-or all too familiar-tightening in his stomach surfaced.  
  
"We...I...this.... Kenshin, I..."  
  
He remained silent, waiting for her words with perfect poise and patience. Shifting her position in anxious discomfort, she dropped her glance once more to her hands, which were clasped in her lap. If only he knew how sweaty they were! She unclasped them, rubbing them on her kimono-clad thighs before folding them carefully in her lap.  
  
Her actions puzzled him. What could possibly make her this scared?  
  
Tendrils of her raven hair blew across her face in the breeze, her teeth raking against her lower lip. A light flush still colored her cheeks making her seem much younger than she already was. Like...some sort of heavenly creature, full of mercy and grace..come to collect his soul. Again, he ruminated on his luck at being with her, just being close to her, even if he didn't deserve someone at all, even if--  
  
At that moment, however, all thoughts ceased as she launched herself into his arms, capturing his mouth with her own.  
  
_And I don't understand  
By the touch of your hand  
I would be the one to fall  
_  
  
It seemed that his life, all the murder and loss, had been leading up to this very moment. He wrapped his arms around her slender figure, returning her kiss, molding his lips to hers. It was chaste-far too chaste.   
  
'I'll change that, de gozaru...'  
  
He pressed his lips a little harder against hers, parting his lips in a silent invitation for her to do the same. Obediently, she yielded, and almost immediately he plunged his tongue into her mouth, coaxing hers into a gentle play.  
  
Her inexperience only seemed to encourage him as he nibbled deftly at her lower lip, gentle whimpers caught by his hungry mouth. Tiny hands rested at the nape of his neck, slender arms slung over his shoulders. He shifted his attentions to her neck, lightly sucking and kissing his way down her scented skin, his hands shifting to lightly massage her back through the silk of her kimono. Her shivery moans vibrated under his lips as he reached the hollow of her throat, revelling in her sweet taste.  
  
_And sweet  
Sweet surrender  
Is all that I have to give  
_  
Kaoru inhaled deeply in satisfaction, tracing intricate designs over Kenshin's lightly toned chest. His scent was high in the air, something deep and musky merged with sweat and grass. Protective arms tightened around her, pulling her nude form closer to his muscled frame.  
  
How did this happen? His mind was a whirlwind of confusion, mirth, happiness, confusion, love, more confusion, and finally, of course, his supposed unworthiness. He didn't deser--  
  
"Aishiteru," She whispered, breaking all his walls of guilt and self-deprecation. She buried her head in his shoulder, as if afraid of his answer. As if she didn't already know.   
  
"Aishiteru, Kaoru."

~*OWARI*~

A/N: Not very angsty at all, ne?! XD I guess to kinda make up for all the angst in the last chapter. I'm sorry it took awhile for this one to come out! If you wanna see what else I'm busy with, please look at my poetry at sleepingsiren.deviantart.com  
  
Oh yes. and I'm skipping ahead a few chapters, possibly. I might just go ahead and start on the lemons, because I'm an impatient little bastard. Review me if you agree or disagree! XD or just to review! And also...late Happy Chinese New Year! Chuc Mung Nam Moi. I hope that was right. 


	5. Circles: Sanosuke x Megumi

A/N: Wheee! ^_^ Time for some good ol' non-angsty (by my standards) fun-filled SxM! Yeah...I'm skipping the chapter sequence whatever whatever. But you know you want it. ^~ This chapter is dedicated for Digibaka! I mean, I've never really talked to her or anything but I suppose this is a thank you for being the first person-besides a close friend-that has reviewed most of what I've done. So..XD Thank you! *bow* And yes, the lyrics in this piece are out of order. I know this.   
Customary Reviewer Shout-outs:  
  
**Sakuranbo**-Yeah, I still like the Aoshi x Misao one best. XD Though I might be biased, ne?  
  
**Digibaka**-THEN I HAVE SUCCEEDED IN WRITING WAFF!! I'm glad that you're reading this even though you're not that much of an angst fan. ^^; I have trouble writing humor (which is a big surprise, seeing as how everyone says I should be a commedienne). I like alternate pairings, though! XD A little uniqueness is always fun.  
  
**Nine Fires**-Thank you so much for giving me your opinion! I always love criticism (as long as it's not too harsh. ^^;)! In the Kenshin x Kaoru limey type chapter, I guess I was trying to show that since Kaoru couldn't really express how she felt in words, she wanted to express it otherwise. I was also trying to get a feel for some other genres. Angst is fun, but you can only go so far before you're just...angsted out. ^^; 

**Circles**-Sanosuke x Megumi  
  
_There are two of us talking in circles  
And one of us who wants to leave  
In a world created for only us  
An empty cage that has no key  
  
_ "Shut your beak, tori-atama! I can smell your sake breath from here," Megumi hissed scathingly, garnet eyes narrowed in irritation.  
  
"You're just mad because you know I'm right, kitsune," Sanosuke slurred back, slamming his sake dish onto the wooden table before him, liquor dribbling over his fingers.  
  
"You're just DRUNK."  
  
"And you're a COLD BITCH."  
  
"Go to hell, bastard!"  
  
"Not before you! Maybe the flames there will melt your FREEZING HEART!!"  
  
The two were standing now, each on either side of an oak table, garnet clashing against chocolate, fingers digging into the wood. Formerly occupied pillows were turned over at their feet, forgotten in their rage. Finally, after what must have been minutes of exchanging hardcore death glares, Megumi pivoted on her heel. Her black hair flying haughtily behind her as she turned, she stormed toward the door huffily, teeth gritted.  
  
"That's right, go! No wonder why Kenshin chose Kaoru over you!"  
  
At that, the doctor paused, fists balled at her sides. Immediately, Sanosuke's glare softened as he realized that he had actually hit a nerve.  
  
"...Megumi, I didn't mean--"  
  
"You meant every word."  
  
With that, she left the room, shutting the shoji behind her with a sharp snap.  
  
_Don't you know we're working with flesh and blood  
Carving out of jealousy?  
Crawling into each other, it's smothering  
Every little part of me.  
  
_ The ex-fighter for hire hung his head, running an uncoordinated hand through his spiky brown tresses. This had not been what he was planning when he returned to Japan, heading straight to Aizu with one thought in mind. To speak to Megumi. In truth, he wasn't sure what exactly he had expected, but he knew what he wanted. The speech he had prepared before spun around in his head, mocking his cowardice and his inability not to become rip-roaring drunk. And jealous.   
  
_I know too many people unhappy  
In a life from which they'd love to flee  
Watching others get everything offered  
They're wanton for discovery.  
  
_ Envy for Kenshin followed Sanosuke wherever he went. Whether it be his envy for his best friend's wonderful life (deserved though it may be) or his envy for his ability to keep Megumi's heart even after he married, it stalked him more persistently than his own shadow.   
  
Megumi stared at the sliding door, back leaned against the cool wooden wall of the hallway. The waning candlelight sent flickering patterns through the thin paper, splaying across the dark floor. Ever since Sanosuke had arrived, everything turned upside down. The doctor's careful daily schedule-the one she had created to make her so busy that she scarcely had time to think- became jumbled and sloppy. Even the patients had begun to notice that something was on her mind, try as she might to conceal her inner turmoil. The only question was WHAT was on her mind.  
  
A few months ago, she would've said it was Kenshin. The rurouni had married her friend, and though she was happy for them, she couldn't help but feel.... Megumi shook her head, biting her lower lip, refusing to even mutter the word in her mind. Many ridiculed the fox for her pride (namely Sanosuke), but even so it was the one thing that she had always been able to count on. That is, until she had discovered her friends.  
  
Suddenly, the familiar image of Sanosuke flashed by in her mind's eye, plaguing her reveries. No, the bumbling rurouni wasn't the object of her contemplation anymore, now it was...the annoying cock.  
  
'Rooster. Cock. Same thing. Whatever.' (A/N: Yes..XD; I know they're in Japan and this play on words probably wouldn't exist there but...I couldn't help it.)  
  
Having Sanosuke around proved to be more distracting than anything else. She had to constantly cook up worthy retorts out of the blue, constantly keep on her toes lest he might spring up on her out of nowhere. But, for some unfathomable reason, she found herself enjoying their verbal spars and battles of wits. And of course, she found herself enjoying the fact that he still wore very little clothes.  
  
Megumi nearly choked on that thought.  
  
_What kind of love is this that keeps me hanging on  
Despite everything it's doing to me?  
What is this love that keeps me coming back for more  
When it will only end in misery?  
  
_ A soft coughing roused Sanosuke from his sake-induced stupor. Feminine coughing. He rose clumsily, snuffing the candle as he did so. The light was too much at the moment for his blood-shot eyes.  
  
"Megumi?"  
  
The tell-tale shuffling and dissipation of light confirmed her suspicions. Sanosuke was awake and on the prowl. Probably aiming to shoot another offending insult at her in his drunken state. She immediately began sneaking off as quietly as she could manage in her kimono, which suddenly seemed too damn noisy in the silence. Weren't there usually crickets around this time of night?   
  
A warm hand closed around her arm, stopping her progression in its strong grip. A gasp escaped her lips before she could stop it, another one accompanying it when the hand turned her around and crushed her into a broad chest. An all-too familiar masculine scent-one that was mixed with sake- enveloped her along with a pair of arms.  
  
"S-sano, what are you doing? You're drunk...."  
  
"Alcohol reveals a person's true nature. Haven't you heard that?"  
  
"No."  
  
She fought vainly to keep her voice strong and annoyed, even though her knees were turning to jelly and the crickets she had been listening for earlier were hopping in her stomach. His words were smooth and measured, not at all like the sake-slurred speech he had made before during their argument. His voice warmed her like a smooth liquor, sliding down her throat and into her stomach. In a daring attempt to seem more confident than she really felt, she glared up at him. A big mistake.  
  
If it were medically possible, she would've been sure that her heart skipped a beat. If it were scientifically possible, then she would've been sure that the world stopped. Megumi's lithic glare softened as he stared back at her, his brown eyes glinting in the dim moonlight. His handsome, dark features were illuminated in such a fashion to make them...completely breath-taking.  
  
"Tori-atama...Sano...let me go," she demanded weakly, giving a half-hearted struggle. He did not let go.   
  
"I'm sorry, Megitsune," Sanosuke whispered hoarsely, "What I said in there was wrong...I shouldn't have mentioned him...after all, you're still in love with him, aren't you?"  
  
She dropped her wine-dark gaze to his bare chest.  
  
"I guess I can see why. I shouldn't have come here. I don't know what I was expecting--"  
  
_Can't you see that it's you in the window  
Shining with intensity?_  
  
"You're an idiot."  
  
"What?"  
  
Megumi lifted her dark eyes to meet his, raising a hand to cup his cheek. The skin there was surprisingly soft, in sharp contrast to the calloused hands that grasped her arms. Slightly taken aback, he glanced askance at her ivory fingers before reaching up to cover them with his own.  
  
"It's not about him anymore."  
  
"Who's about then?"  
  
_What kind of love is this that keeps me hanging on  
Despite everything it's doing to me?  
What is this love that keeps me coming back for more  
When it will only end in misery?  
  
_ "Stop asking stupid questions, tori-atama."  
  
He responded simply by lowering his head, allowing his lips to brush hers as he spoke.  
  
"I always have to have the last word, kitsune."  
  
"Not this time."  
  
Sliding the hand on his cheek back to the nape of his neck, she pushed his head down, capturing his lips with hers. Just as he began to respond, she pulled back to glare at his questioning eyes.  
  
"You're going to wake up tomorrow and not remember a single thing."  
  
"That might be true...unless I wake up next to you."  
  
A slow, lazy smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he abruptly picked her up, cradling her in his strong arms.  
  
She had no choice but to give him the last word.

~*OWARI*~

A/N: Yes, another horny one, I know. ^__^ I can't help it though, this couple is really sexy. I know this probably isn't very sweet or what not...because..well..Sanosuke's drunk or whatever. But still, it appeals to me. I like my writing in this one. o.o You'll never guess what I got inspiration from... Britney Spears. I was listening to Britney Spears when I wrote this. In The Zone is really good. @.@; XD Oh...and who of all you people out there reviewing my fic (meaning maybe like...4 people) would like to see me write a Hellsing fic? Anyone? 


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